Obstetrics and Gynecology

A brief overview about the Gynecology and Obstetrics Specialized Center

Our specialized center focuses on 4 main fields – perinatology, oncogynecology, reproductive medicine, and urogynecology. As the top Gynecology and Obstetrics facility in the Czech Republic, we concentrate on women with the most severe issues within the country.

Yearly, we perform more than 3.000 childbirths and admit more than 10,000 patients. We conduct about 6.100 surgeries and 100.000 examinations every year.

Our center is divided into two departments - Gynecology and Obstetrics. The Gynecology branch consists of 4 departments – Oncogynecology, the Post-Surgical Department, the ICU and the Conservative Department. The Obstetrics branch is divided into 5 departments – the Pre-Childbirth ICU, the Delivery Room, the High-Risk Pregnancy Department, the Department of Puerperium and Neonatology.

Is this specialty placement ideal for you?

The most beautiful moment in whole medicine is to witness the birth of a child. But there is so much more in Obstetrics and Gynecology you can explore. This placement is run in one of the most prestigious specialized centers in the University Hospital in Motol. As the treatments and procedures carried out on our patients are of a very delicate and intimate character, we expect a high level of maturity, sensibility and responsibility from you.

If you want to become a doctor or midwife, the best way to learn new skills in the specialty is by shadowing experienced obstetricians and gynecologists with their teams. Apart from the childbirths we deal with oncogynecological conditions of women from the whole country. We cooperate with many other departments that deal with inborn diseases such as Children's Heart Center and Diagnostic and Imaging Methods Specialized Center to examine mothers to be.

Let’s take a closer look at the specialties…

The Obstetrics Department of our center provides high quality care for the most severe conditions that occur during pregnancy, childbirth, and puerperium. A part of this department is the Perinatology Center, which, among other responsibilities, cares for newborns suffering from inborn errors.

The Delivery Room is divided into 5 delivery boxes. Each box is fully equipped for the mother-to-be, her companion and the newborn. That includes modern observation equipment; relaxation aids such as showers, mats and gymnastic balls; heated beds for newborns and more. The delivery room also includes an OR in case of acute conditions that might occur during childbirth. We always do our best to help bond the mother and the newborn as soon as possible by attaching the baby to the mother’s breast.

Anesthesiologists also work in the delivery room, mainly administering epidural analgesia. We require agreement of the mother for each step of the procedure. We respect each mother's privacy, and therefore watching any childbirth requires approval of the mother-to-be. Our obstetricians, midwives and neonatologists are available 24/7.

We have 2 Puerperium Departments in our center, where we take care of new mothers directly after childbirth. Patients usually stay here for 72 hours if the childbirth was spontaneous and there were no complications. Others are released according to their condition.

In case of the most severe conditions that endanger the mother-to-be or the fetus, we have the Pre-Childbirth ICU, which has a capacity of 6 beds.

The High-Risk Pregnancy Department is equipped with 24 beds for mothers-to-be whose pregnancies are considered at risk of complications according to previous diagnostics.

When a baby is born, he or she is transported to Neonatology Department. We care for all newborns in all weight categories, and specialize in the care of very immature or critically injured ones. These children are placed in the NeonatologyICU. Our department has access to the services of all pediatric departments, and the laboratory, which is the only one of its kind in the Czech Republic, runs 24/7. Therefore, newborns with inborn disorders from across the entire country are hospitalized here. Childbirth is usually planned in our hospital. We are proud that our center has been recognized as a Baby-Friendly Hospital by the WHO and UNICEF.

The Gynecology Department is focused mainly on oncologic gynecology. We cooperate with the EORTC center, and are particularly proud of the standard-setting measures and procedures that we have established in the field of oncogynecology. The top quality of our workplace is represented by our European accreditation and the regular invitations our specialists receive to give speeches to international congresses. Our department provides complex diagnostics and treatment of all types of malignant gynecological tumors. Thanks to our modern methods and equipment, we are better able to sustain women's fertility.

The Conservative Department is equipped with 19 beds. Here, we perform minor surgical interventions, provide treatment for inflammation and imminent miscarriage and check for signs of ectopic pregnancy.

In the Intensive Care Unit, we take care of patients coming directly from the OR. We have 12 fully equipped beds at our disposal.

Finally, there is the Post-Surgical Department, where hospitalized patients are transferred immediately after surgery.

We also provide Outpatient Services, which includes the following departments:

General outpatient department

Endoscopy outpatient department

Oncogynecology and colposcopy outpatient department

Urogynecology outpatient department

Center for reproductive medicine and reproductive genetics

Department of ultrasound diagnostics and fetal medicine

Outpatient department for breast disease

Internal consultant examination department

Gynecology outpatient department for children and teenagers

Prenatal advisory department

Who do we take care of?

The members of our team perform all procedures from the fields of urogynecology, senology (breast disorders), and oncogynecology. We take care of pregnant women who have diabetes, underwent surgery in their childhood or had oncology or hematology treatment at a young age. Furthermore, we provide care for pregnant women who have suffered from a miscarriage or whose fetus has been diagnosed with an inborn disease.

In our center we provide comprehensive care in oncogynecology, female infertility via assisted reproduction, prenatal genetic diagnostics, fetal medicine and diagnosis and treatment of high-risk pregnancy and childbirth. We also take care of women with urinary incontinence or tumors of the mammary glands. We would like to stress the continuity of our care towards our patients, who often visit us for their whole lives.

Our methods and procedures

Recently, we have added these modern procedures to our service:

Perioperative detection and extirpation of sentinel lymph nodes as an alternative to inguinal lymphadenectomy during the therapy for carcinoma of the vulva. This significantly decreases the morbidity in patients.

Sentinel lymph node detection into the treatment of carcinoma of the cervix. This method is less radical and decreases the magnitude of the surgery and post-operative morbidity. This is used mainly to treat lymphedemas of the lower limbs, incontinence disorders and impaired bladder emptying.

Fertility algorithm for use in the treatment of young women suffering from carcinoma of the cervix. This allows them to retain their fertility after the treatment.

How does the usual schedule look like?

The amount of time spent in the hospital will differ depending on your and your mentors' shifts. Apart from day shifts, which generally start around 11 o'clock, you might also stay with the mentors for the night shift. During the night shift, you will work in the obstetrics portion of the center. You are guaranteed to spend at least 25 hours in the hospital every week.

Our Team

Photo Jan Šibík

Doc. MUDr. Tomáš Fait, Ph.D.

Deputy Head of Education

Doctor

At the time of my professional beginnings, there was relatively enough of doctors and the career choice depended not only on personal interests but also on vacancies. I started as a physician at the department of internal medicine. It was fascinating to search for the right diagnosis in a wide spectrum of possibilities, but I found the field too wide to be able to handle well the whole specialty. On the other hand, solely surgical disciplines seemed to me kind of mechanical. Therefore, I decided for a smaller surgical field. And to me, the biggest level of independence provides the obstetrics specialty in particular.

Why did I become a healthcare professional?

Ever since elementary school, I have been interested in biology and natural sciences. Later on, I hesitated between medicine and ecology. Then I chose medicine because of its purpose as I found it to be more meaningful. I was sure that medicine will allow me to do something that people really need. At the same time, I thought medicine was independent on politics. While I still believe in the usefulness of my job, the vision of its independence shows to be relative. In any case, medicine is a job that brings me personal and intellectual satisfaction, forcing one to be still learning. And last but not least, it is a lifetime adventure.

Childbirth is beautiful. While gaining more experience you understand how important it is to bring birth to the stage when the mother can pull the baby out. And later on you will understand that the greatest art in obstetrics is to decide early enough whether it would be better to perform childbirth rather operationally than spontaneously.

What do I love the most about my specialty?

I find my work beneficial. It’s full of emotions and requires complete commitment. Obstetrics combines the need to wait patiently with the need to detect a negative trend and then act quickly. Wrong decisions could hurt many people. It's a very exciting part of medicine. But to take a break from this stress I work as well in the gynaecological endocrinology outpatient department. I talk to my patients, and as a result, I do my best to improve their quality of life, for example when it comes to the treatment of infertility.

What can you see by shadowing our team?

Since one of my workplaces is the delivery room, you can see both either spontaneous or operational labor. Of course also the cesarean section (we usually perform 1-2 daily) or sometimes operating vaginal births – with forceps or vacuum extraction. Every day we perform from 5 to 14 births. You can visit the maternity clinic for the cases of high-risk pregnancies when our patients suffer from diabetes, hypertension, internal diseases, congenital uterine or heart disease and other complications. You can also witness the treatment of fundamental problems in gynecological endocrinology. Although I am not specialized in gynecological malignancies, we also treat oncology patients who are pregnant, so you will see that the disciplines are intertwined.

Apart from being a healthcare professional...

I rest during traveling, cycling and stamp collecting.

Photo Jan Šibík

MUDr. Miroslav Hricko

Gynecologist, Obstetrician

Doctor

Gynecology and obstetrics met my criteria and wishes about my healthcare professional's job as I have never wanted to work in solely internal or surgical specialty. That is why I chose the branch that connects both. I really like the wide spectrum of our work. Recently, I am either in the outpatient department or in the operating theater, where I can learn so much from my experienced colleagues and that is priceless.

Why did I become a healthcare professional?

I had always inclined towards biology and chemistry, so when I was considering what to do after high school, I was deciding between pharmacy and medicine. Spontaneously, I have chosen medicine, and I do not regret. This was only my decision, as we have no healthcare professionals in family. But our family friend is a gynecologist. During my medical studies, I was able to shadow him in his outpatient department, where I learned a lot. Since I spent there all summer, I've seen a wide range of gynecological procedures and I really enjoyed that field. During my university studies I hesitated a bit between gynecology and orthopedics, but in the fifth year I took part in an internship in gynecology, and I became certain this was it.

Experienced surgeons have such a good mentoring approach towards us - younger doctors - so I'm grateful for learning a lot from them. I hope you will experience the same with me.

What do I love the most about my specialty?

Every day happens something new and different. We always look forward to a new birth. In the gynecology ward I can learn so much becoming more and more experienced professionaly. Every person has a slightly different anatomy, not every case can be treated strictly by theory, but often it is necessary to search for various alternatives. In the operating room, I am sometimes in the role of assistant suregeon or a surgeon, too.

What can you see by shadowing our team?

In the department of high risk pregnancy, we do doctors' rounds in the morning, the reporting starts at half past seven, and then I go to the operating room or to the onco-gynecological outpatient department. For example today we performed the vaginal hysterectomy which is a quite common operation here. In the small OR we do small procedures, sometimes up to twenty per day, but in addition to endoscopic surgeries, we also conduct extensive open surgeries in large ORs. In outpatient department you can see the performance of cytology, biopsy, colposcopy and so on. We are also specialized in onco-gynecology.

Apart from being a healthcare professional...

Since I've been living in Prague only six months yet, I love walking around with my girlfriend and I enjoy theatre, especially comedies.

Photo Jan Šibík

MUDr. Zuzana Jantošová

Gynecologist, Obstetrician

Doctor

Although I check around 30 patients daily, I always do my best to approach every one of them with a clear mind and a smile. I want to give to women confidence in us, the feeling that they are unique to us and encourage them even if it all does not go the way it was planned. I want to guide my patients through the whole process and make it a pleasant experience for them as much as possible.

Why did I become a healthcare professional?

Ever since I was a child I have always wanted to help people. When I was deciding what to do next at the end of high school, medicine seemed to me to be the best discipline that could professional fulfill me. Half of my family members are teachers, the other half works in industry, so I was the pioneer in my generation . From today's perspective I can say that the choice of medicine has been the right one for me, since this profession has really fulfilled my expectations while giving me the inner joy by my work.

It is very important what you learn and observe from your teachers and mentors at the beginning of your career. What procedures and methods they use, and how your experienced colleagues communicate with patients. I learned a lot during my internships abroad. The work in a large hospital is hectic and we still need to keep in mind that we are all people. Even with a large number of patients, it is necessary to approach them individually.

What do I love the most about my specialty?

I love to see parents joyful after giving birth, their relief, happiness and gratitude when a baby is born. I am always happy to hear a sincere praise from our patients. In the onco-gynecology outpatient department, the patients are very grateful for our help and sometimes they even tell us they survived because of it.

What can you see by shadowing our team?

At the obstetrics ward, you can see examinations, physiological and pathological conditions of our patients, births, caesarean sections, vacuum-extractions, postnatal wounds sewing, follow-up care, puerperium examinations, patients in high risk pregnancy and the way how we communicate with them. With me you have a chance to visit both, delivery room as well as a gynecological outpatient department where I do medical checks of women after surgeries. Because our hospital specializes in complications during pregnancy, more than half of women in our maternity ward suffer from a health problem - of the fetus or their own condition. It includes genetic and developmental defects or internal problems.

Apart from being a healthcare professional...

I like to travel, ride a bicycle or to play piano. Doing sports helps me to cope with stress.

My motto…

Borders, I have never seen one. But I have heard they exist in the minds of some people.

- Thor Heyerdahl

Photo Jan Šibík

MUDr. Michal Kníže

Doctor

Doctor

I decided to pursue my career in Obstetrics and Gynecology in the last year of my studies. I considered the field of psychiatry for a long time. Something completely different. So why the Obs and Gynae by the end? When you start to study medicine, you do not have an idea of what to expect. You go through a lot of rounds in various specialties, and you feel to be interested in some fields more in some less. During this time you will be most probably shaken by many stories of the patients, their destinies, and cases. One of the strongest emotions I felt during my studies was during the time I spent in the delivery room. It is a place where there is no calm or silence. You need to make your decisions there very quickly, act fast and you see the results of your work immediately. Everybody is full of emotions, and the tears of joy are sometimes way more delicate and beautiful than a burst of laughter.

Why did I become a healthcare professional?

My family happened to inspire me, but the final choice about my career was mine. My grandmother was a nurse in the surgical outpatient department in the town where I grew up. She cared for her patients including my father who had an oncological condition. When I walked on the street with her, people stopped us thanking her for her work. That was to me as a kid fascinating to see. She was incredibly intelligent and energetic woman, although a bit strict from time to time. Despite her wishes, she couldn't study medicine and I inherited a part of her ambition. I was always interested in biology and chemistry and I wanted to know all about how the human body works. At the end of the high school, my decision was crystal clear. A lot of people think that one wants to become a doctor because one wants to "help people". When I studied at the faculty it was considered to be a big cliché. Of course, you need to have a good relationship with people, but medicine means to me the will for finding solutions, discovering the ways to the best possible result, and also the satisfaction of a well-done work.

The content of our work in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialized center differs every day but I always try to absorb as much knowledge from older colleagues as possible. We have a great group of colleagues, and apart from work, there is always a bit of time to chat and have a coffee together. By the end of the work day, we meet to talk about the patients, their treatment, and procedures.

What do I love the most about my specialty?

Although we are a big specialized center, I succeed in working with my patients individually. I am always glad about positive feedback on my work as that is the right motivation for me. In many of the specialties you see your patient once, and then you have no idea what has happened next. What I love about my specialty is that I see the whole story from the beginning to the end. What I do enjoy is the rich variety of the specialty connecting surgical field with the one of internal medicine. I think it has a huge potential for the future. My job tasks are diverse as I work in the delivery part of our center as well as in the outpatient department and also with patients in the inpatient department. We have excellent cooperation with the neonatal center and lots of unusual cases that are sent from the country to our center. I learn something new every day, and I can cooperate with so many specialists from different fields who are working with me within this hospital, so one learns about other professions every day.

What can you see by shadowing our team?

It is not such a long time ago when I was a student myself. I always appreciated when somebody found time explaining to us students what he or she is doing, and why and how to do it. The way our education was organized was more about the lectures at the university than about the reality of the day to day work. That is why I liked the idea of the CHP Program so much. When we had a chance to learn this way I was always thrilled. What I really want to show to you is the delivery room. The work on the deliveries since the admission of the mother to be including the delivery and the following procedures with the patient. You can observe the cases of spontaneous deliveries and C-sections as well, how the surgery is prepared and what are the steps to be taken. You will see the support and the following care after the delivery for the mothers during the postpartum period. I work quite often in the prenatal outpatient department as well where I aim to find out any possible complications that can happen and I explain to the patient all the changes related to the pregnancy. What you can observe there is the way how to examine the patient including the ultrasound examination. We will go together through the essential duties of obstetricians and gynecologists and talk through interesting clinical cases. Another exciting aspect is the management of the after delivery complications at the risk pregnancy department. Apart from my regular work, I am in a Ph.D. program, and I will be happy o share with you some extra resources for further studies in the specialty.

Apart from being a healthcare professional...

I am a movie fan, and I like architecture and traveling. From sports activities, I go swimming, biking, and exercise.

My motto...

There is one quotation I really like. "When you give a gift to someone - forget instantly, but when you are the one who gets the gift - remember forever."

Photogallery

LOVE WHAT YOU DO WITH EVERY HEARTBEAT

About Us

The Czech Hospital Placements Program offers you unique and specifically designed hospital work experience placements in a variety of fields. Come and join us to shadow dedicated healthcare professionals - doctors, nurses, dentists, physiotherapists, and others.

This memorable experience will help you make one of the most important life decisions about your next career path, as well as help you grow as a human being.